Plant Physiol. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
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Published on March 4, 2009; 10.1104/pp.108.133397

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Received November 28, 2008
Accepted March 1, 2009

Nitric Oxide is Involved in Cadmium-Induced Programmed Cell Death in Arabidopsis Suspension Cultures

Roberto De Michele *, Emanuela Vurro , Chiara Rigo , Alex Costa , Lisa Elviri , Marilena Di Valentin , Maria Careri , Michela Zottini , Luigi Sanita di Toppi , and Fiorella Lo Schiavo

Dipartimento di Biologia, Universita degli Studi di Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, I-35131 Padova, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Universita degli Studi di Padova, Via Marzolo 1, I-35131 Padova, Italy; Dipartimento di Biologia Evolutiva e Funzionale, Universita degli Studi di Parma, viale G. P. Usberti, 11/A, I-43100, Italy; Dipartimento di Chimica Generale ed Inorganica, Chimica Analitica, Chimica Fisica, Universita degli Studi di Parma, viale G. P. Usberti, 17/A, I-43100, Italy

* Corresponding author; email: demicheler{at}virgilio.it.

Exposure to cadmium (Cd2+) can result in cell death but the molecular mechanisms of Cd2+ cytotoxicity in plants are not fully understood. Here, we show that Arabidopsis thaliana cell suspension cultures underwent a process of programmed cell death when exposed to 100 and 150 µM CdCl2, and that this process resembled an accelerated senescence, as suggested by the expression of the marker gene SAG12. CdCl2 treatment was accompanied by a rapid increase in nitric oxide (NO) and phytochelatin synthesis, which continued to be high as long as cells remained viable. H2O2 production was a later event and preceded the rise of cell death by about 24 h. Inhibition of NO synthesis by NG-monomethyl-arginine monoacetate (L-NMMA) resulted in partial prevention of H2O2 increase, SAG12 expression and mortality, indicating that NO is actually required for Cd2+-induced cell death. NO also modulated the extent of phytochelatin content, and possibly their function, by S-nitrosylation. These results shed light on the signaling events controlling Cd2+ cytotoxicity in plants.






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